Delmarva Congressional Delegation Divided on Syrian Military Strike

Senator Chris Coons tried to make the case for a military strike against Syria during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” program saying that it would deter another chemical weapons attack.

He said that not to act would result in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would continue to slaughter his people with chemical weapons.

The Delaware Democrat in the Senator Foreign Relations Committee voted to support authorization for military force and added an amendment with Senator John McCain to use military force to change the momentum on the battle field for the rebels.

But Coons said that he did not support the broad use-of-force.

The committee vote was 10-to-7.

Coons said that confidential intelligence briefings from the administration had convinced him that Syrian government had carried out chemical weapons attacks.

The predominantly Democratic Maryland Congressional Delegation appears for the most part to be undecided as Washington begins to vote on whether to authorize the Obama administration to carry out air strikes against Syria for using chemical weapons.

Senator Ben Cardin says he supports military action but Senator Barbara Mikulski says she is undecided.

Meanwhile, the second ranking Democrat in the House Steny Hoyer says he will support the president while one of the most prominent liberal voices in the lower chamber Elijah Cummings said he has serious questions that need to be answered first.

Congressman Chris Van Hollen has said that the resolution authorizing air strikes is too broadly drawn.

Representative John Sarbanes said that he remains undecided adding he would only support a limited strike designed to minimize the risk of drawing U.S. forces into a wider war.

Here on the Eastern Shore Republican Congressman Andy Harris said last week that he opposed a military strike at this time and believes the president needs to make the case for military action.